Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lübeck and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,208 a month against $2,185 in Lübeck, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

105

Cost of Living Index in Lübeck
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Lübeck Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Lübeck

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,185

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lübeck and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lübeck and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,185 per month in Lübeck vs $1,208 in Phuket, rent included.

Lübeck $2,185
Phuket $1,208

A couple spends around $3,254 per month in Lübeck vs $2,027 in Phuket, rent included.

Lübeck $3,254
Phuket $2,027

A family of three spends $4,323 per month in Lübeck vs $2,845 in Phuket, rent included.

Lübeck $4,323
Phuket $2,845

Lübeck costs about 81% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Lübeck sits 61% above the global median, while Phuket is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €15.26

$4.40 ฿147

289.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.8 €56.7

$32.26 ฿1,078

97.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.10 €11.65

$8.76 ฿293

49.54%

Cappuccino

$4.02 €3.58

$2.83 ฿94.5

42.05%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 €2.89

$0.90 ฿30.14

261.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 €3.20

$0.47 ฿15.56

663.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.54 €4.93

$2.55 ฿85.2

117.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 €3.96

$3.83 ฿128

16.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 €1.08

$1.73 ฿57.7

-29.48%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 €1.91

$1.47 ฿49.11

45.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.66 €3.26

$1.51 ฿50.6

142.38%

Eggs

$3.54 €3.15

$2.17 ฿72.7

63.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.62 €13.00

$19.70 ฿658

-25.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.39 €10.13

$3.34 ฿112

241.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.10 €16.99

$11.16 ฿373

71.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 €2.75

$2.85 ฿95.1

8.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.53

$1.70 ฿56.9

1.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 €1.95

$2.19 ฿73.3

Tomato (1kg)

$4.68 €4.16

$2.05 ฿68.4

128.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 €1.14

$1.45 ฿48.57

-11.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 €1.06

$1.38 ฿46.16

-13.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 €1.52

$1.07 ฿35.69

58.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.79

$0.51 ฿16.91

74.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.57 €8.51

$4.26 ฿142

124.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.70 €5.96

$18.58 ฿621

-63.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 €0.93

$1.78 ฿59.7

-41.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.23

$2.85 ฿95.2

-51.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.42 €3.04

$2.26 ฿75.6

51.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.1 €62.3

$22.10 ฿738

217.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 €3.46

$3.01 ฿101

29.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.82 €3.39

$1.06 ฿35.34

260.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.02 €15.14

$3.86 ฿129

340.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 €1.90

$1.45 ฿48.45

47.59%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$30.8K €27.4K

$26.3K ฿879.9K

17.04%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$38.5K €34.2K

$26.9K ฿900.4K

42.81%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$339 €302

$96.4 ฿3,221

252.05%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$34.84 €30.99

$11.04 ฿369

215.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.9 €47.06

$17.14 ฿573

208.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.41 €36.83

$52.2 ฿1,744

-20.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.74 €24.67

$11.16 ฿373

148.57%

Cinema Ticket

$13.68 €12.17

$7.81 ฿261

75.16%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$457 €407

$556 ฿18.6K

-17.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿387.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.4 €70.6

$64.2 ฿2,146

23.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.46 €35.10

$28.69 ฿959

37.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 €112

$95.4 ฿3,187

31.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$148 €131

$88.0 ฿2,940

67.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$783 €697

$737 ฿24.6K

6.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$793 €706

$462 ฿15.5K

71.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,814 €1,614

$2,095 ฿70.0K

-13.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,427 €1,269

$1,201 ฿40.1K

18.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,891 €3,461

$3,488 ฿116.6K

11.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,133 €3,676

$2,523 ฿84.3K

63.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,509 €3,121

$501 ฿16.7K

600.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.97

5.57

-28.73%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Lübeck: October 17, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Lübeck

$793 36.3%

Phuket

$462 38.3% 41.7% $331

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lübeck

$427 19.6%

Phuket

$125 10.3% 70.8% $303

Groceries & Markets

Lübeck

$324 14.8%

Phuket

$269 22.2% 17% $55

Eating Out

Lübeck

$289 13.2%

Phuket

$121 10% 58% $168

Clothing & Footwear

Lübeck

$177 8.1%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 29.6% $52

Getting Around

Lübeck

$107 4.9%

Phuket

$39 3.3% 63% $67

Sport & Entertainment

Lübeck

$69 3.2%

Phuket

$68 5.6% 1.4% $1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $783 in Lübeck versus $737 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 601% higher in Lübeck, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $64.0 in Lübeck versus $32.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $324 vs $269 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Lübeck

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

03:00 3:00 AM

08:00 8:00 AM

5 h ahead of Lübeck

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

212,958

79,308

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Lübeck Phuket 9,150 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Lübeck
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Lübeck vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Lübeck is pricier by about 81%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,277 per month in Lübeck and $1,813 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 20% more in Lübeck, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $64.0 in Lübeck and $32.00 in Phuket. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,208, than in Lübeck at $2,185. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lübeck it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Phuket – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lübeck makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.